Keith R Porter Biography
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Keith Roberts Porter 1912 - 1997
- Born June 1912 in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada.
- Attended college at Acadia University in Nova Scotia.
- Did graduate work at Harvard University.
- Did his first postdoctoral work at Princeton University.
- Did his second postdoctoral work at The Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research.
- In the late 30's joined the laboratory of James B. Murphy.
- 1938 married Elizabeth Lingley.
- 1947 became an American citizen.
- 1953 became an Associate Professor in charge of the Laboratory of Cytology at the Rockefeller Institute for Medical Research (The Rockefeller University).
- 1954 was on the committee that founded the American Society for Cell Biology.
- January 25, 1955 first issue of The Journal of Biophysical and Biochemical Cytology (The Journal of Cell Biology) , Porter was first Managing Editor. 1961 became Professor of Biology and then Chairman of that department at Harvard University.
- 1968 became Chairman of Department of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology at University of Colorado at Boulder. Established a High Voltage Electron Microscope Facility.
- 1973 became a Wilson Elkins Distinguished Professor in the Department of Biological sciences at the University of Maryland Baltimore County. Established an Electron Microscope facility.
- 1977 received the National Medal of Science from President Cater.
- 1987 became Distinguished Research Professor of Biology at the University of Pennsylvania.
- His estate is the major contributor to the Keith Porter Endowment.
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Major Contributions to Microscopy
- Took the first electron photomicrograph of an intact cell.
- Technical Contributions
- Roller flask for cell culture.
- Porter-Blum Ultramicrotome.
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Scientific Contributions
- Made the initial ultra structure descriptions of the endoplasmic reticulum and the sacroplamic reticulum.
- Observations of the synthesis and assembly of collagen and the role of coated vesicles in endocytosis.
- Studies in lipid digestion in the intestine, and the role of t-tubules in excitation contraction coupling in muscle.
- Observations in the role of the cytoskeleton in cell transformation / shape change.
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Philosophical Contributions
- Understood that cells where not a mixed bag of protein. That the structure of a cell and organelles within the cell is consistent throughout the plant, animal, and protists kingdoms.
- On the molecular level he understood that the cell is in space and time a very precisely balanced network of cytoplasmic proteins.
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Photomicrographs
Here are some of the images Keith R Porter captured
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